US2288759A - Vending machine - Google Patents

Description

July 7, 1942.`

G. S. WELTON `vENDINGf MACHINE Fiied April 14, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l yHIHI u 1 LZ 22 i l famed f' July 7, 1942 G. si. wELToN 2,288,759

VENDING MACHINE Filed April 14, '1941 2 sheets-sheet 2 Il Il ff 5 J7 Q ZZ/ j il i -J J2 j l l i J5 l l 21 i J5 i La l u 10 I;

uw Mm Patented July 7, 1942 VENDING MACHINEv Gilmore S. `Welton,-Chcago, Ill., assigner to Victor Vending Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application April 14, 1941, Serial No. 388,428

(Cl. S12-'73) Z Claims.

This invention relates in general to vending machines and more particularly to that type in which the commodity to be dispensed is held in a transparent container so that the articles to be vended will be in kfull view of the operator.

In a number of machines of this character it has been customary to place in the container and in commingling relation with the other articles, a certain number of special articles which are generally the same commodity only specifically designated or differentiated from the remaining articles, the object being that in the normal operation of the machine by the deposit of the proper coin or token, one or more of the articles in the container will be vended or discharged from the machine upon' the .proper operation of the coin control mechanism.

The differently designated articles are for the purpose of stimulating the sale of the commodity in that should the operator be fortunate enough to receive from the machine when properly operated, one of the specially designated articles, he will be entitled to something in -addition to the regular article, in the nature of a prize or special award.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide in a machine of this character improved means whereby a sample of the prize or special award may be displayed within the container from'which the articles are vended.

A further object is to provide improved means in the way of an attachment' of this character which may be readily placed within the container of machines now on the market without necessitating any `changek or alteration whatsoever of such machines. l

A further object vis toprovide an improved device or attachment of this character which will not only display the prize or award but which will also segregate Ia prize or award from the other aritcles in the container, and at the same time conceal the remaining articles to ybe vended.

A further object is to provide an improved means for segregating one of the prize indicating or coveted tokens or articles from the remaining articles in the container `and maintain the same in a position where it will also be visible, so that the operator may know at a glance which article he must receive from the machine to entitle him to such an award or prize.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects as will appear, the invention -consists in the features of novelty in` substantially the construcparts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed and 'shownin the accompanying drawings illustrating this invention, and in which Figure l is a fronty elevation of a portion of a vending machine having an attachment constructed in accordance with the principles of4 tachment embodying the features of this inven-A tion.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral I designates generally a vending machine of any desired size, configuration and construction provided with the usual coin actuated mechanism diagrammatically illustrated at Il.

The vending machine is provided with a container I2 which is usually constructed of transparent material, such as glass, open at the top and bottom and lclosed at the bottom by resting upon the portion of the machine II). The top of the machine is closed by means of a closure I3 removably held in position in any suitable manner, all as well known in this art.

The articles to be vended are placed en masse within the container I2 and are individually vended in the usual manner by the deposit of a coin in the coin control mechanism and the operation of a knob or handle I4.

The numeral I5 designates a sheet of any suitable flexible material and is of a width substantially equal to the height of the container I2, and of a length to be placed within the container and to contact the inner surface of the wall of the container I2. This element I5 is also of such a length that when it is -placed within the container I2 the ends I6 will abut, as shown more clearly in Figure 2, so as to hold the element against the container wall.

Carried by this element I5 are a plurality of receptacles I'I and I8, any number of which may be provided, and they may be arranged in any suitable position or relation with respect to each other. These receptacles are disposed within the plane of the edges of the element I5 and respectively open through the element, as at Ill-25, the openings Ill-2l] being preferably in the plane of the body of the element I5.

The receptacles II-IS may b-e of any desired size and configuration and when placed in potion, combination and arrangement of the several 55 sition within the container I2, will be closed by the wall of the container as shown more clearly in Figure 2. The receptacles I8 are for the .purpose of receiving and holding any desired object or article which is to be given as a prize to the operator which by the legitimate operation of the machine receives one of the predetermined articles from the container I2.

The article which controls the distribution of the commodity 2I is indicated by the reference numeral 22, and is placed within the receptacle I'I, the receptacle also being closed by the wall of the container I2. Any desired number of these articles `22 are placed within the container l2 with the remaining articles 23 that are to be vended.

The element I is preferably opaque so as to conceal all of the articles and the contents oi the container I2 so that the operator will not be able to figure out the chances of securing one of the articles 22 upon the proper manipulation of the coin control mechanism.

The element I5 is freely removable from the container by the removal of the closure I3 and is also freely insertable into the machines now on the market.

With this improved attachment it will be maniiest that the sale of the commodity will be greatly stimulated by reason of the fact that the operator will be desirous of obtaining one of the articles 2 I. In order to do this, however, he must properly operate the machine until he secures one of the specially designated articles 22. Not being able to ascertain or gure out the changes of securing one of these articles 22 by reason of their being concealed from his view,

it will be manifest that no fraud can be perpetrated in this respect but the operator will always be assured of receiving the proper value for the coin, in the manner the same as in connection with vending machines now on the market.

In addition to this value, however, should he receive one of the specially designated articles 22 he will receive an additional award of one of the prizes 2I.

While the preferred form of the invention has been herein shown and described, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the details of construction and inthe combination and arrangement of the several parts Vwithin the scope of the claims, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed as new is:

l. In a vending machine, a container having a transparent wall, and from which container the articles to be vended may be delivered, said container serving also to hold and to vend one or more prize-indicating, or coveted, tokens, means for concealing the articles and tokens that are to be vended, and means for holding a prize-indicating token segregated with respect to the remaining tokens in the container and for maintaining the segregated token visible from the outside of the container in exclusion of the other articles in the container.

2. As an article of manufacture, an article holder comprising a flexible body adapted to be placed into the container of a vending machine adjacent the inner surface of the container wall, the said wall being transparent, said body being provided with a chamber having one of its sides open to be closed by the container wall, said chamber adapted to receive and hold a prize indicating token segregated from the remaining articles in the container, said body concealing the said remaining articles in said container.

GILMORE S. WELTON.

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